Improvement in hydrants



s. w'. LEWIS.

HYDRANT.

' Patented March'la, 1877.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 SAMUEL W. LEWIs, 0E OINCINNATLOHIO.

IMPROVEMENT l-N HvDRANTs. y

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 188,384, dated March 13, 1877; application led December 15, 1876.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL W. LEWIS, of Cincinnati, in the county -of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a new and usci ful Non-Wasting, Anti-Freezing, and Automatically Closing Hydrant, which invention is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section of my hydrant, the plunger being shown as in the act of being elevated. Fig. 2 is a similar section, but representing the plunger depressed, so as to open the hydrant; Aand Figs. 3 and 4 represent two modifications of my invention.

The object of my invention is to provide a hydrant that will neither waste water norfreeze up inthe winter season, and that will automatically close itself the moment the plunger is at liberty to assume its normal orelevated position, and I accomplish thisresultbythe following combination of appliances.

The principal feature of my hydrant is the valve-chamber, which latter consists of two cylinders of different diameters, traversed by oppositely-cupped pistons, attached to a hol-k low plunger occupying an axial position within said valve-chamber. '0f these two cylinders the lower one is the smaller, and is furnished, at or near its junction with the upper cylinder, with an inlet-pipe or solder-tail of customary construction. Located a suitable distance above the lower end of this smallercylinder is a series of apertures or channels, below whose level the lower piston is depressed when thehydrant is opened or turned on. This depression of said piston allows water to flow through said apertures or channels,

so as to enter beneath the piston, and thereby have access to the tubular plunger, up which latter thewater ascends, `and is then discharged at the spout'or nozzle, in the usual manner.

The escape of water at the upper end of the larger cylinder is prevented by the piston of the same, which piston is, for the time being, depressed about as far as the ledge or shoulder formed by the junction of the two cylinders. Now, as long as the plungeris maintained in this depressed position the flow of water will continue, as previously described; but the moment said plunger is liberated the pressure of water raises it, thereby elevating the smaller piston within the lower valve-chamber. This elevation of the plunger, is caused by the pressure of water beneath the larger piston, and as soon as the lower piston is elevated above the level of the previously-described apertures or channels the supply of water to the tubular plunger is at once shut off. y

Evidently, the continued ascent of these two connected pistons has a tendency to produce a vacuum beneath the lowerone, and, consequently, all water contained within the hollow plunger immediately runs down into the lower chamber, and prevents the hydrant freezing up in the winter season.

My valve-chamber consists, essentially,"of two cylinders, A and B, of different diameters, the junction between them being effected either with a horizontal ledge, b, ora

bell-mouth, b', or else with an inclined or sloping seat, b, or otherwise. Of these two cylinders thev lower one, A, is the smaller, and is furnished with an inlet, C, of any suitable kind, said inlet being located at,or immediately below, the junction of the two chambers A-and B. Furthermore, this lower cylinder is 'furnished with a series ,of lateral apertures, ports,fpassages, or channels,'a or S, whose united areas should about equal the area of the hollow plunger, which latter 'devicewill be hereafter fully described.

These apertures or channels are located at such a distance above the lower end of chamber A as to insure the smaller piston passing fairly below them when the plunger is depressed, as seen in Fig. 2 and Diagram 4. The aforesaid ports a communicate with the annular space D, situated between the lower portion of chamber A and the shoe or base E of the hydrant, which base may be .cast with the valve-chamber, as seen in Fig. l., or it may be bolted to the latter, as represent-ed in Fig. 2 or the base may be'sorewed to the cylinder A, or coupled tothe same in any secure manner.

l When the base is cast with this cylinder, holes must be drilled in the walls ot' said base, so as to enable the formation of apertures a. in the cylinder, after which said holes must be plugged or soldered up,as seen at ein Fig.

s l i 188,394

, in order that thetwo cupped pistons may be properly secured to said moving water-Way. Of these-twov pistons, the 'lower one consists of an upturned cupped packing, H, clamped between a screw-thrcaded head, I, and a disk, J, the latter being secured in position with nut K. The upper piston, orrthe one that traverses the larger cylinder B, iscomposed of a downturned cupped packing, L, clamped4 between a screw threaded head, M, and a disk, 0 is atnut that retains disk N securely mposition. The upper en d of cylinder B is screw-threaded at P to engage with the iron stocklor said ystock may be attached to cylinder B in any other appropriate Way. i

When my valve-chambers arepto beiapplied to hydrants having woodenr stocks or cases, the threadP may be omitted and abell-mouth substituted for it, thereby insuring the proper insertion-ofn the two pistons, and `without injury to theirtcupped packings H or L, which cupped packings may be composed of leather, india-rubber, or any other material or mate` rials. Furthermore, when the valve-chambers are to `befiittedmwi'thin wooden hydrants, the base Efmay be provided with a downwardly-l proJecting screw-threaded stem. for'the pur-` pose ot'securing` said connected chambers or cylindersto the caseV or stock. f i The outlets maybe composed-of grooves or channels `Scastfor cut'longitudinallyrof cylind er A, as seen-in Diagram 4,-which construe-p tion obviates1 theguse of shoe E, as saidchanfv nelsperformthe functions of aperturesa and annular, chamber D. e ,f

l The: ,in vention` may be further, moditied `by providing a spool, T, whose heads U and'V: serve as bearings for the opposit'ely-cuppedA packings Hand Ly (See Fig.2.) 3 An inclinedlseaqX, may be Varranged to in, sure anoutward expansion4 of packingL beforel the hydrant is placed in communication with `the water-mains. jThis seat is seen in the left illustration of Fig. 3. i t 1 a Fin`ally, ,the cylinders A andB-may be furnished with a fusible-metalV lining o r bushing, Y, as represented in Fig. 3 but, as I reserve .the righ'tof makingsaid lining or bushing Vthe subject of, a future` application for patent, further description of v,this rnethod off-construction isunnecessary` at the; present time. i

The operation of my hydrant is asfollows:

As soon as Water islallowed to enter through inlet Cr the space between `thetwo pistons H` and L is at once filled, and no Vwaste or escape can occur, because the pressure of water forces 4 l level of apertures a or channels `S tojthebotthe packings VH and L outwardly, and causes them to hug'the walls of their respective cylinders in the most intimate manner. If these two cylinders A and B were of uniform bore, itis evident the areas of their respective pistons H and L would be exactly alike, and, consequently, an equilibrium or balance would be established, thereby retaining the plunger G in any position it should be left in. Now, by making the upper cylinder B of relatively greater diameter than the lower one A, no

such equilibrium or balance can occur in my hydrant, but a dierential pressure is induced,

4which differential pressure isexactly proportioned to the excess of area of piston L overthe one H. a As a natural result ofthis 'arrangement of pistons, the excess of ,pressure is exerted 11pwardly, and therefore the plunger G, with its attached accessories,will :continue `to as-` cenduntil'said plunger is arrested by som-e suitable stop atthetop of *thehydrant This stop should be adapted to arrest the plunger when the u'pper marginof piston H isnearY hydrant, the plunger G -is depressed by any suitablemeans until itis arrested by thelugs F', or else by their equivalent devices at the top ot'` the stock or case; This demssien lcarries piston H below theaperturesa, or below the up'perends of .channelsS, Water i nowilows through' said apertures and, down the chamber I)4 into the vacant spacebetween said pistou H and the` shoe `orlease `'lhe currents then fiow freely ,i around e ,the project tionsF, enter'the open. end g', of plunger G,

`and finally escape at the upperiend 'of said a `tubular water-way.' Thisowof waterithrough i y inlet C, cylinderA, .aperturesfa/y, shoeuD'Efand a `:pipe Gr g" is `clearly indicatedibyarrowsfin i riga. Y, 1

, lArs ,soon e 4as the desired huluantity i water has been drawnfrom the hydrant, theatten 1- 4 ant mayinitiate its closure by fsiinplyfeleytating the plunger fari enough toyclps'ethe apertures at on theupper endsof ,grooves` S, with the packing H, which act instantly arrests the rested, the` excessl of pressure, against the;` larger piston L elevates,theidevicesGHuntil i said piston H isagain brought toits normal position, or about ona level frifithjthe inletC.- 'Care must y be-taken, howevernot to 4elevate this piston so far as to allow water, flowing under it from the inletO, which contingency can .be provided against by the'fi'pneviouslydescribedarrangement of 'alsuitable stqpat the topof the hydrant. Thisllaut'omatic elevation of lp lungerlGrfand its ,attached series isv indicated by the double-headedjab.

rowjin Fig. 1. ,e .Y e

During the Lascent `of piston `H "i'roni'ithe tom of inlet C a vacuum" is produced in chamlll ber A, and into this vacuum the water contained in pipe G iiows by gravitation, as indicated by the single-headed arrows in Fig. 1.

It will thus be seen that the lower portion of cylinder or chamber A serves as a receptacle to the water drained from plunger G, and by simply setting the hydrant deep enough inv the ground all danger of the waste water freezing will be completely obviated.

When the plunger begins to ascend, it is accelerated in its movement by the weight or pressure of the column of water contained therein; but as this column is gradually discharged into chamber A, the momentum of pipe G is retarded accordingly, and by the time said pipe is emptied of its contents the.

plunger gradually ceases to move, thereby avoiding any violent jar or concussion at the termination of its stroke.

During the closed condition of' the hydrant all sedimentA contained in the water settles at .the bottom of cylinder A 5 but the moment the hydrant is opened numerous currents enter from the various inlets a or S, and flow toward the center of the device, so as to escape up the pipe G, and in so doing the sediment'is completely agitated and then carried away with the water.

It will also be-noticed that whether the hydrant is opened or closed, the two cupped packings H and L areconstantly submerged, and therefore they are always maintained in a soft and pliable condition, and the greater the pressure within chambers A and B, the more tightly will said cups H and L hug the walls of their respective cylinders.

I have described my automatically-closing hydrant as provided with a hollow or tubular water-way attached to the connected pistons H and L; but it is evident this tube G may be dispensed with, and a solid rod substituted therefor. In this case a special' dischargepipe must be applied to the base E or to the lower portion of cylinder A, which dischargepipe may project from either side of the base or cylinder A; or said pipe may be attached to the bottom of either of these members A or E of the hydrant.

Such a lateral attachment of the special discharge-pipe to the left side of the base E is suggested by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

I am aware that it is not new to apply the ports a or channels ,S to a hydrantbase for' the purpose of admitting water beneath the lower piston, and allowing the fluid to ascend within the tubular discharge-pipe; and therefore my claim to such ports or channels is expressly limited to their combination with a self-closing hydrant whose inlet-pipe is located at or near the junction of two communicating valve-chambers of unequal diameter, said chambers being traversed with pistons of corresponding differential areas, as herein described.

I claim as my invention- 1. A combined non-wasting., anti-freezing, and automatically-closing hydrant, having its inlet-port located at or near the junction of two communicating valve-chambers of unequal diameter, substantially as herein described and set forth.

2. A hydrant whose valve-chamber consists of two communicating cylinders of different diameters, traversed by independent pistons, attached to a common moving water-way, said chamber being provided with inlet and outlet ports, the inlet-port being situated at or near the junction of the two valve-chambers, substantially as herein described and set forth.

3. The combination of communicating cylinders A and B, of unequal diameters, inlet C, located at or near the `junction of cylinders A B, outlets a. or S, packed pistons H L, and a moving water-way, G g', or its equivalent device, substantially as herein described and set forth.4

4.. In a non-wasting hydrant-valve, the upturned cupped packing or piston H, and downturned cupped packing orpiston L, when Vso arranged that the upper pistonL will be of greater diameter and present more areaof surface to the water than the lower piston H,

thereby causing an unequal'pressure of water SAMUEL W. LEw'Is. l

Witnesses:

J AMES H. LAYMAN, S. B. SPEAR. 

